Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a combination display assembly and living plant package, and it more particularly relates to a method of packaging living plants for display and sale in retail grocery stores.
2. Background Art
In the past, plants have been packaged and sold by having individual living plants rooted in soil and then placed in storage containers receiving the individual soil mounds. In this manner, a large number of such growing plants could be transported by the purchaser to a location where the individual plants are then transplanted. In this regard, for example, growers have purchased large quantities of such individual seedlings for planting in the ground for production purposes, and later for commercial harvesting purposes.
While such packaging technique may be suitable for sale to growers for production purposes, such a technique for displaying and selling live vegetable plants rooted in soil is not at all suitable for sale in a grocery store where purchasers buy individual vegetable plants for consumption at home. In this regard, a live plant with a soil ball or clump does not lend itself to display and purchase in a grocery store, since the soil ball is not easily maintained and can become dislodged, especially when handled by a purchaser buying a number of purchases and using a shopping cart. Also, in transporting the product to ones home, the soil can also become dislodged and not remain intact. Also, the dislodged soil cannot readily be confined, and thus is, in general, messy. Typically, a shopper in a grocery store would only be interested in purchasing only a few numbers such as one or two of the individual plants, such as herbs, and when removing the soil bound plant from the multiple part plastic container or flat, the individual plant is not very stable. In this regard, even if one were to tear apart the plastic multiple part container so that one or two plants can be purchased, such a destruction of the container would be highly inconvenient and would probably necessitate the use of some tool, such as shears. Thus, living vegetable plants have not been marketed in retail grocery stores in such a manner.
For this reason, vegetable plants, such as herbs, have been marketed by selling packaged harvested herbs in the retail grocery stores. Such a marketing approach is highly desirable in the sense that groups of plants can be individually packaged so that a purchaser can select an individual quantity of the harvested vegetable for purchase, and can readily and conveniently place the harvested plant in his or her shopping cart. Thus, the harvested, package product can be neatly and conveniently transported to the purchaser""s home for later consumption.
However, the harvested vegetable plants, such as herbs, typically have a very short shelf life. For example, harvested basil must be sold within a few days from the actual harvest. From the standpoint of the producer, there can be transportation problems in promptly shipping the product to the retail outlets. This transportation problem is exasperated when there are long distances involved, and rapid, expensive transportation must be employed.
Additionally, the store owner has the problem that the short shelf life can produce loss of inventory and/or stock shortfall. Such problems may translate to customer dissatisfaction. Additionally, the consumer or purchaser may find the product to be less than desirable, since the product may not be as fresh as one would desire.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved packaging technique for facilitating the display for retail sale of vegetable plants which may be very fragile in nature. The new and improved packaging construction and method should greatly improve and extend the shelf life in the retail grocery stores. Furthermore, such a packaging technique should be relatively inexpensive, and attractively displayed.
Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved combination display assembly and living plants which enable living plants to be marketed through retail stores with a greatly extended shelf life.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved display device for small living plants such as vegetable plants.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved living plant package.
Briefly, the above and further objects of the present invention are realized by providing a combination display assembly and living plant package, which is packaged in a unique manner to extend greatly the shelf life of the product when marketed at a retail outlet, such as a grocery store.
A living plant is rooted in a growing-medium, conically shaped plug which supports and helps nourish the roots of the living plant. A sleeve surrounds the plant and at least a portion of the plug to protect the plant and to retain the plug [in tact] intact. The plug fits within an open bottom portion of the conical sleeve and receives nourishment during the display thereof. In another aspect of the invention, a display assembly includes a nourishing liquid containing pan having a plug receiving tray disposed therein. The tray is apertured to permit the liquid to be received therein for engaging the plug for nourishing the living plant while being displayed for sale.
Thus, the novel packaging and display arrangements of the present invention enable a purchaser to select individual packaged living vegetable plants, such as herbs, at a retail grocery store and conveniently transport individual ones of them to the purchaser""s home. Thereafter, the packaged plant can be unpackaged and the plug placed in a suitable container such as a drinking glass partially filled with water. In such an environment, the plant can continue to grow and the purchaser can harvest the herb for consumption as needed. The plant will then continue to produce foliage for consumption for long periods of time, without requiring refrigeration. Also, the plant is decorative in appearance and may be fragrant.
Therefore, the producer and the retail sales outlet are able to extend greatly the shelf life, and the transportation and shipping of the product are greatly facilitated since the product is far less fragile in nature as compared to a harvested plant.